As is so often the case with me, this scenario begins with everything working perfectly fine. I was having no issues with the integrated Beats™ audio on my Pavilion 1414 running Windows 10 Insider Preview build 15601.rs2_release.170315-1424 so naturally, I felt compelled to improve things...
I installed a Creative Sounblaster Audigy 5/RX sound card, carefully following all the directions (which I faithfully do the first time I install something). I disabled integrated sound via BIOS, removed/uninstalled the Beats™ software and then installed the sound card in the machine, turned it on and installed the full package (drivers and software) from the DVD that was included with the sound card, allowing at install the automatic update via internet.
Hooked up my Bose 2.1 sound system in the LINE OUT jack on the card itself as illustrated in the less-than-convenient Installation Guide that starts out as 1 5x5 inch square that unfolds like a roadmap on steroids into a 3x4 FOOT poster, resigning myself to the fact that it would simply never be folded back to its original size and moving on with the task at hand: Sound with quality so high that any Audiophile like myself would be in heaven with the music I was about to play.
I loaded up my favorite Tina Turner song (who ELSE would one use for a sound card's maiden run!?), turned up the volume as I settled back in my chair and, with a deep cleansing sigh, I clicked PLAY...
and wait for it....
wait for it...
NOTHING. Utter silence!
I tried every troubleshooting idea I could think of on my own, contacted the support team at Creative (from whom I am still waiting to hear), searched the internet and even tried a few random, "this will never work," ideas until I was exhausted and gave up 24 hours later.
So I uninstalled the card, and enabled the on-board audio from BIOS and after downloading the driver from HP Support, began to install the drivers for Beats™ which never completed--I'm guessing it's due to the pre-release version of my OS, but about halfway through the install process, I get an error saying that my OS doesn't meet the requirements for the driver which subsequently terminates, leaving me, as I am at this moment--now 49 hours later--in utter silence!
The only way I've been able to generate any sound whatsoever from my PC (aside from furious key-clicking and the occasional kick) has been to use the USB headset (Microsoft LIfechat 3000).
This morning, about 3 hours ago, I finally reset windows via Settings, effectively doing a clean install of the above referenced preview build of Windows 10 with the same (annoyingly quiet) results.
Ideally, I would like to be using the Audigy sound card and if anyone has suggestions for its successful operation I would greatly appreciate the assistance. In its absence, I would like to go back to using the Beats™ platform but in lieu of this deafening silence I will settle quite happily on suggestions for getting ANY sound at all from this machine and my music collection.